INTRODUCTION
Hollywood made a pretty bad movie about it – “Arachnophobia”, but for some the movie was excruciating – if they even went to see it. The cast certainly was amazing: John Goodman (“Roseanne”), Kathy Kinney (“The Drew Carey Show”), and Jeff Daniels (“Dumb and Dumber”).
But it doesn’t take a movie to frighten people who suffer from arachnophobia. Spiders can be anywhere and everywhere. That fact alone strikes terror into the hearts of those who hold this phobia in their minds.
This author has never really had a problem with spiders. When I see them, I find the closest shoe and send them on to spider heaven. I don’t want them crawling all over me, but if I see one, I don’t get freaked out. Now show me a snake and it’s a different story. So I understand!
God did not make spiders cute and cuddly. He did not make them fun or even interesting – well, to most people. After all, they just kind of crawl around and lurk in dark spaces occasionally spinning a web for you to get all over your face if you walk through it. Around Halloween, this can be great – handmade decorations! But at other times, it’s just a nuisance.
Then you have to consider those spiders that are poisonous. Media outlets have made all of us increasingly aware of the dangers of brown recluse spiders and the physical damage they can wreak on the human body. Then you have to consider the deadly Tarantulas, and other poisonous spiders that can be lurking just underneath your house.
Perhaps this is why people are afraid of spiders – because they can be everywhere. Arachnophobia is a very real fear for many people. Almost half of all women suffer from a fear of spiders and about 10 percent of men share that fear.
Fear of spiders, just like other phobias, is a very real condition for many people. It is one that they often wish they could get over just for the sense of normalcy. Instead of shrieking in fright at the sight of a spider, they wish they do like I do and just grab a shoe sending that spider into the great unknown. But they’re not able to do that: at least not yet.
There are ways to overcome the fear of spiders. Let’s take a good look at why people are afraid of spiders, how phobias develop, and ways to overcome that fear and lead a satisfying life right alongside those 8 legged creatures.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 3
What Is A Phobia? 4
What Causes Phobias? 7
Phobias in the Past 10
What Happens to Phobics? 12
Arachnophobia 13
Overcoming Your Fears 17
Exposure Therapy 21
Flooding 25
Cognitive Behavior Therapy 25
Hypnosis 28
Virtual Reality Therapy 28
Medications 31
Beat Panic Attacks 32
Relaxation Techniques 37
Jacobson’s Progressive Relaxation 37
Cue Control Relaxation 42
Deep Breathing Relaxation 43
Guided Imagery 44
Fun Facts about Spiders 45
Conclusion 49
